The Tarot can be a powerful resource for understanding, clarifying, and empowering the actions we take and the choices we make in our life. But does it ever reach a point when there too much of a good thing?

We see the incessant use of the Tarot very often when people first become acquainted with the Tarot. It’s a new toy, it’s different from anything we’ve had before; it’s like getting a new puppy who’s always ready to play with you.

When you find something so compelling, so multilayered, so relevant, and so true, it is hard to put the thing aside and go about your business.

Usually, eventually, the newness wears off and things settle down. Yet there are likely to be times that we reach for our faithful friend the Tarot when we really should be letting sleeping dogs lie. Here are a few guidelines for signs that it may be time to set the Wisdom of the Ages on the shelf for a bit and allow life to unfold of its own accord:

1. When you’re really tired. Thoughts are swimming, emotions are all over the place, focused attention is not serving you. Wait to call on the Tarot after you’ve had a good rest and your head is clear.

2. When the question is one to which you really do not want an answer. You know those questions that you really shouldn’t be asking: Is my partner cheating on me? Will Nick and I be married forever?Will my children always be safe? Stay away from a query the reply to which might make you miserable.

3. When you keep getting the same cards over and over. Repeatedly getting the same message from the cards tells you to take your ball and go home. If things on the table aren’t changing, it’s up to you to change the rules of the game in the outer life.

4. When you’re on some serious medication. This may sound a little silly, but if for whatever reason you’re on pain killers, strong antidepressants, sleeping aids, or even overindulging with alcohol, stay away from the Tarot. Complications will surely ensue.

5. When seeking guidance from the Tarot becomes a substitute for autonomy in your life. This one is an insidious little bugger, but it’s more common that you might think. When Tarot “works” it’s easy to assume that “It” knows what’s best. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Tarot is here to inform, not direct, our life. The Tarot is here to guide, to provide information upon which we can reflect, and to help us hone our authenticity. Any way of using the Tarot that moves us into dependence is antithetical to healthy self-determination.

Tarot can be a faithful friend and helpful companion; don’t make it bite you on the hand.